U.S. vows to defend itself against North Korea threats

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. says it will take necessary steps to defend itself and its allies after North Korea threatened a pre-emptive nuclear strike on the United States.

The top envoy for North Korea policy is Glyn Davies. Davies is calling on the North not to miscalculate and says the U.S. is working with South Korea to ensure it's ready for any threats that arise.

He was testifying to a Senate foreign relations panel Thursday, shortly after the U.N. Security Council approved tighter sanctions against Pyongyang for its latest nuclear test. North Korea made the threat before the vote at the world body.

The panel's chairman, Democrat Robert Menendez of New Jersey, says the, quote, "absurd" threat of a nuclear strike on the U.S. would be tantamount to suicide.